Guest Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 With thought turning to getting my 110 back on the road, I have been having a look around at what is new, I happened to notice that LED headlights have come down in price by a factor of about 10 to something that is looking more affordable. Therefore my question (s) is this: Are they any good? Has anyone fitted them? now clearly some folks brought the £1k ones and I am sure that they would always say that sliced bread does not even come close. especially after spending that much money on them. But has anyone experienced the new lower cost versions? I currently have a pair of Wipac Crystal lenses with Philips nightbreaker bulbs, so am woundering if the new ones are any better than this solution? Thanks, Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertspark Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 There was a good comparison review done here for the standard 7" headlights which are the same as used in Harley Davidsons http://bogiesreviews.webs.com/Review%20-%20Phase%207%20LED%20Headlights%20&%20Passing%20Lamps.pdf Guess there's no point linking to your old post on the same subject? http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=73483 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Cheers, I was going to resurrect the old thread but it did start to wonder at the end and as I have been out of things for a couple of years figured that starting again was the better way to go. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertspark Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I looked at buying a set via flee bay from Canada or the us as they seem a load cheaper it was just a case of getting a Harley or jeep dealer able to get rhd ones (at a reasonable price) They were available in nz at reasonable money just the shipping was likely to be the issue I'll watch with interest as it may be one of the finishing elements to my build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I Just checked some of my suppliers in China who make them for the world and they are available at less than the cost of a Wipac lense!! They claim that they are fully EC marked and available in RHD. The supplier who we got all of the LED lights from before claimed to offer them for around £30 each and is going to send me some details, shipping from China to the UK including customs is really not that expensive so I will have to see what happens. I just didn't want to waste my cash if they were absolutely no improvement on the current ones. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need4speed Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 A friend of mine splashed out on a pair at considerable cost a year or so ago. He has been very disappointed as he couldnt see (sic) any difference compared to his wipacs that were connected via relays... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 A friend of mine splashed out on a pair at considerable cost a year or so ago. He has been very disappointed as he couldnt see (sic) any difference compared to his wipacs that were connected via relays... Wow someone who was prepared to say it wasn't the best £1k that they had spent, that is my fear as I think I took the current ones as far as I could using all the options available. However technology moves on at a rapid pace hence the reasking of the question, plus the fact I love the light my LED light bars give at night and find it far less tiring on my eyes so if I can improve things for less than £100 it would be worth it for me. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tacr2man Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Dont forget to factor in the deterioration of your eyesight as time passes, and its recovery rate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 interesting this is !!...will be a watching this with interest !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 The price seems almost too low ! I too will watch with interest. Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuko Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Jason, great to see you getting the 110 back on the road again, maybe we'll see it over these parts sometime soon. ;-) I still have the lights that I posted here: http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=73483&p=754024 For the money, the light output, the light pattern is well worth every bit of it plus more. Since buying mine, Truck-Lite have improved these lights by adding the "position lights" to the front of the lens. These 2 lights do two things, one of course it's the position lamp and also it provides vital heat to the lens to help when driving in snow. I've ran into problems where the lens is not warm enough to melt the snow that gathers on the lens when driving. I've had to stop to clear the lens!!! I've never had any problems with water ingress, even with the front end well and truly submerged. Plus now they are fully E marked with the proper lens angles for LHD & RHD traffic. The pictures that I provided above are with the American light pattern, with E rated the light pattern would be even better. My suggestion is for Truck-lite LED headlights if you consider LED's. Todd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Hi Todd, Thanks for that and I hope that your ankle is getting better? I looked for your lights but they seem to have been superseded by these: http://www.agmpartscomponents.co.uk/truck-lite-tl-27291c-led-headlamp-headlight-7-12v-24v/ Although I have no doubt that they are good at nearly £500 for the pair its a bit more than I would want to pay. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuko Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Hej Jason, First full week back to work, foot is getting better thanks! There are these LED lights that I have been watching: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2pcs-CREE-Wrangler-07-14-LED-head-light-7-inch-12-30V-7000K-LED-car-LED/32239012652.html http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-product-Defender-JK-wrangler-Benz-G-serie-replacement-led-headlight-with-colorful-halo-ring/32240624513.html The prices are in USD which are cheaper for a set. Todd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Cheers Todd, Glad to hear that you are getting better and have gone back to work, just stay clear of forklift trucks!! Thanks for the links, I have emailed them asking them if they do a RHD version, I am also waiting for a full spec sheet from a couple of contacts over there but that will not be until Monday now. Cheers, Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need4speed Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Ugghh. Dont say i didnt warn you.. . Still i suppose they look more bling than wipacs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Not bothered about the aesthetics of them just the quality of the light. Where I live the roads are mainly through woods and overhanging trees where all light seems to be absorbed and at this time of year it is horrible. Whilst I can make daylight with my spots going from that to dipped beam is even worse as any night vision is gone. I was not surprised that early adopters didn't rate them, newly developing tech coupled with a high entry price was bound to lead to dissatisfaction. However getting someone to admit that they have buyers remorse was not easy. My thoughts three years on, is that LED tech is becoming or has become mature, and as such costs have tumbled hence it may now be worth the investment. However for me that would have to be below £100.00 before I could justify the costs to myself. Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boydie Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I fitted a set of LED headlights on my Disco, which meant destroying a perfectly good pair of headlights to fit them however their exterior looks well outperformed their long range illumination, (low beam was fine) luckily I was able to return them to the dealer and replace them with a set of HID's - far better low and high beam road illumination and lower purchase price - apart from having to buy a new set of headlights - but we all learn from our mistakes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantastic Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Do I smell another group buy by any chance? Been thinking about these too, LEDs have gotten a lot better and cheaper lately. I think the truckLites look pretty good. Not a huge fan of the aestetics of the more funky ones. They look too knob-y for my liking. Will follow this thread to see where it ends up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Drumstick Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Hej Jason, First full week back to work, foot is getting better thanks! There are these LED lights that I have been watching: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2pcs-CREE-Wrangler-07-14-LED-head-light-7-inch-12-30V-7000K-LED-car-LED/32239012652.html http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-product-Defender-JK-wrangler-Benz-G-serie-replacement-led-headlight-with-colorful-halo-ring/32240624513.html The prices are in USD which are cheaper for a set. Todd. Just had a look at the first link there. And first up 6500-7000k would be horrid!!!! The lumen claim is also 1000 lumens and Chinese sellers/makers are known to lie and exaggerate lumen claims. In short you really want something neutral white for a nice tint and good colour rendition. OEM HIDs are 4300k and a NW Led should be 4000-5000k. Anything higher than this is a nasty blue colour and reeks of cheapness and a lack of R&D. The reason you want neutral white is it won't bleach the colours. If my torch review thread hadn't been deleted you would have been able to see this easily. In it's absence, here is a beam shot or two from the review: This is a Neutral White emitter of 4125-4250K See how well it renders the colours. This is a cool white 5500-6500k: See how much less definition the CW offers. On the road this will make the white lines, tarmac and verge all appear somewhat grey and hard to distinguish. So even if it is pumping out lots of light, it'll be harder to make out the road ahead. Off road or in green countryside areas it's even worse. Blue lights (yes even the aftermarket HID ones) will cause more eye strain also. So lose lose all round. And for the record. Osram Nightbreaker H4 halogens. Color temperature 3900 K Luminous flux 1650/1000 lm http://www.osram.com/osram_com/products/lamps/vehicle-and-bicycle-lighting/cars/halogen-headlight-lamps-for-cars/night-breaker-unlimited/index.jsp Based on this, I think these aftermarket Led headlights have a way to go yet. And like aftermarket HIDs, I think there is some greyness to the legislation on what is legal and isn't for the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Good point, and an excellent comparison on the colour temps. My own recent experiences with courtesy light LEDs has arrived at the same conclusion. A warm white light makes everything much easier to see. The cool white interior LED lamp was near useless compared to a 21w incandescent. For reference, the courtesy light units I have are the earlier 90/110/series style with a diffused glass bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Hunter Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I found these on Alibaba and the Osram LEDs is what attracted me to look further. I have not bought, so cannot comment on their performance. http://ledether.com/LED_Headlamps_Light/%20-598.html The price quoted is not too bad, depending on how you read the quotation - a little bit of Chinese logic here ! If people are interested, perhaps a group buy could be organised. Unfortunately, I won't be able to participate since I'm in Canada. Ether-price list of LED head light MK.pdf Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need4speed Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 .....a little bit of Chinese logic here ... The irony of that comment isnt lost on me I think you hit the nail on the head as to why there comparitively cheap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 There is an LED headlamp group buy on the 90,110,130 FB group at the moment (not sure if one has to be a member), the prices being discussed are far greater but apparently the lamps are 'E' marked... Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Hmmmm.....at £250 a pair as the dragons say "I'm out"... Still very interested if a group buy happens here on the ones be g discussed here...trees and things don't respect expensive items on my 90 ....crunch tinkle bugger .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I Just checked some of my suppliers in China who make them for the world and they are available at less than the cost of a Wipac lense!! They claim that they are fully EC marked and available in RHD. The supplier who we got all of the LED lights from before claimed to offer them for around £30 each and is going to send me some details, shipping from China to the UK including customs is really not that expensive so I will have to see what happens. I just didn't want to waste my cash if they were absolutely no improvement on the current ones. Jason. Probably bring thick but was was the final thoughts re the above units Jason ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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